Ventilator



F. A. DAHLIN Nov. 4, 1952 VENTILATOR 2 SHEETS-SI-lEET 1 Filed March 17, L950 INV EN] OR ATTORNEYS F. A. DAHLIN Nov. 4, 1952 VENTILATOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March 17, 1950 INV ENTOR ,4. p4A/z. nv,

FEED.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 4, 1952 lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATOR Fred A. Dahln, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 17, 1950,`Serial No. 150,256

7 Claims.

This invention relates to ventilators and more particularly toa roof supported ventilator for a vehicle, such as an automobile, trailer or boat, or for a flat roofed house or similar structure, and constitutes an improvement on the ventilator disclosed in my Patent No. 2,489,011, issued November 22, 1949.

While the ventilator of my prior patent has been found to be fully effective for introducing fresh air into a space below a roof on which the ventilator is mounted and for regulating the quantityv of air admitted to the space and screening or ltering the air to remove airborne material or objects, such as plant fragments; sand and insects, it has since been discovered that a simplied ventilator of this general character can be utilized to exhaust air from the space as well as to introduce air into the space and to cause the fresh air to circulate entirely through the space before such air is exhausted as used air through the ventilator, this admission, circulation and exhaust of the air being accomplished entirely by the relative wind to which rthe ventilator is subjected and without the use of any mechanical power or movement.

It is, therefore, among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved ventilator which can be mounted on a fiat roof area with no modification to the roof structure other than providing a ventilator opening therethrough, which will receive air from above the rooi and direct 'such air in-to a space below the roof and will simultaneously receive air from the space below the roof and exhaust such air above the roof, creating a circulation of air in the space below the roof while the air is being admitted and exhausted, which screens or lters the air passing therethrough, which is easily adjustable to regulate the quantity of Ventilating air passed through the space, which is silent and eii'icient in operation, and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 'is a side elevational view of ka-ventilator assembly illustrative of the invention, portions being broken away and shown in cross section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a Itop plan view on a reduced scale of the ventilator assembly illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a housing con-` 5 l stitutng a component of the ventilator assembly;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a sleeve which is receivable in the housing illustrated in Figure 3 and constitutes another component of the ventilator assembly;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a vane structure receivable in the sleeve illustrated in Figure 4 and constituting still another component of the ventilator assembly;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a plate for covering one end of the vane structure illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure l*7 is a perspective view of a bolt for securing the vane structure in operative position in the assembly; and

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the ventilator assembly.-

With continued reference to the drawings the ventilator assembly of the present invention comprises, in general, an elongated cylindrical housing I0 which is operatively positioned in an opening I l in a roof I2 and provided intermediate its length With an apertured, roof engaging flange I3 which supports the housing in operative position relative to the roof, a sleeve I4 disposed within the housing lo, a vane struc- Iture I5 disposed within the sleeve, a hemispherical or Adome shaped hollow cover I6 enclosing the housing I0 at the upper side of the roof and attached to the housing so that the cover and housing are substantially coaxial with each other, a plate I'I jcovering the upper end of the housing I0, a bolt I8 securing the vane structure I5 to the plate I'I, a plate I9 covering the lower end of the `vane structure, a hollow hemisphericalor dome shaped 'cover 20 enclosing the portion of the housing I0 below the roof I2 and a'cap 2l threaded into an aperture inthe cover 2B and closing the lower end of the housing It.

The housing I0, as particularly illustrated in Figure 3, is an elongated cylindrical body of thin walled construction and provided with internal screw threads 22 extending from onel endsubstantially' to the other end thereof. A set of four rectangular air passage openings 23 are provided in the Ahousing near'one end thereof which openings are ofv substantially the same lengthv circumferentially of the housing and are separated at their adjoining ends by narrow portions 24 of the housing wall, the over center angular distance between each two adjacent portions 24 being approximately degrees. Suitable screens 25, formed of wire mesh or other suitable material are secured in the openings 23 and each of these screensY coversv the entire area of the corresponding opening.

A'second set of rectangular air passage open- The roof engaging formation I3 is an annular iiange which surrounds the housing I0 substanf tially at the mid-length location of the housing and is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the housing. This ange is provided with angularly spaced apart apertures 29 which receive fasteners, such as the screws 30, for securing the housing to the roof structure I2. The sides of the openings 26 adjacent the ange I3 are spaced from the adjacent side of the flange a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the roof structure so that the openings 26 will be disposed entirely within the space below the roof while the openings 23 will be disposed entirely above thel roof.

When the housing is operatively disposed in a roof structure the openings 23 are near the upper end of the housing and the openings 25 are immediately below the roof structure. AThe housingfis provided with external screw threads 3| and 32 at its upper and lower ends respectively, the purpose of which external screw threads will be' presently explained.

The sleeve I4 is an elongated cylindrical body of thin walled construction provided with external screw threads 33 which extend from one to the other end 0f the body, and provided intermediate its length with rectangular air lpassage openings 34 which are of the same size and shape as the openings 216 in the housing, adjacent openings 34 being separated by narrow portions 35 of the sleeve Wall with the center lines of adjacent portions 35 angularly spaced apart at approximately 90 degree angles.

The Vsleeve I4 is threaded into the housing IQ and theY sleeve I4 has a length such that when the openings 34 in thel sleeve are in full registry with 4the openings 26 in the housing the upper end ofthe sleeve is adjacent the lower edges of the openings 23 in the housing.

By threading the sleeve I4 upwardly in the housing I0 until the upper end of the sleeve is ush'with the upper end of the housing, all of theY air passage openings will be blocked off and Vthe ventilator will be closed'. By threading the sleeve downwardly in the housing from the upper limitingposition of the sleeve the openings can beY variably opened and the ventilator will be completely opened when the upper end of the sleeve is at the bottom edges of the openings 23 and the openings 34 in the sleeve are in full registry with the openings 26 in the housing. Stop means'for this fully open position may be provided'by'inserting a screw 35 through the housing to'engage the lower end of the sleeve I4 when the sleeve is' in the position relative to the housing corresponding to the fully opened condition `ofthe ventilator.

A strut bar 31 extends diametrically across the sleeve I4 atA the lower end of the sleeve to provide a handle by means of which the sleeve can be manually rotated to thread the sleeve along the housing. v,

The'l closure I1 for the upper endI of thehousing I0 comprises a ilat metal plate or disc of circular shape having at its center an internally screw threaded boss 31.

The vane structure I5 has a length slightly less than the length of the sleeve I4 and comprises a tubular center portion 38 and four flat vanes 39, 40, 4I and 42 which extend longitudinally of the tubular center portion 38 and project radially therefrom at angular intervals of degrees. The vanes 39 and 4I are substantially in alignment with each other or, in other words, -lie substantially in a common plane which includes the longitudinal axis of the tubular center portion 38 and the vanes 40 and 42 lie substantially in a common plane which includes the longitudinal center line of the tubular formation 38V and is perpendicular to the plane of the vanes 39 and 4I. The distance between the outer edges of the vanes 39 and 4I and of the vanes 42 and 40 issubstantially equal to the internal diameter ofV` the sleeve I4 so that the vane structure I5 closely fits the interior of the sleeve.

Abolt 43, particularly illustrated in Figure 7, extends through the tubular center portion or formation 38 of the vane structure and is threaded at one end into the boss 31 of the cover plate I1 to mount the vane structure I5 at its upper end on the upper end of the housing I0. Thebolt 43 has a head 44 on its opposite or lower end and the disc or plate I9 is interposed between this head and the bottom end of the vane structure and closes the sleeve I4 at the lower end of the vane structure so that air entering the sleeve through the upper openings 23 will be forced out of the sleeve through the sleeve openings 34 and the openings 26 in the housing when the ventilator is opened.

After the ,assembly includingthe housing, the sleeve, the vane structure and the plates I1 and I9 and bolt 43 has been assembled and mounted on the roof structure the outer cover I6 may be applied.

The outer cover I6 is dome shaped or semispherical in form and of thin walled construction. Four substantially semicircular openings are provided'in this cover which openings are in the form of notches opening to the edge of the coverat the open end of the hemispherical cover. These openings, as indicated at 45, have an extent along the open end of Vthe cover somewhat less than one fourth of the circumference of the cover at its open end and adjacent openings 45 are separated by narrow cover portions 46 each of which is provided at its end with an outwardly extending, apertured foot or iiange 41. The llanges 41 rest on the top of the roof structure I2 with the holes therein substantially centered on a circle which is centered on the common axis of the housing I0 and sleeve I4 and the cover is secured to the roof structure by suitable fasteners such as the bolts 48 which extend through the apertures in the flanges or feet 41 respectively and through registering apertures in the roof structure.

The cover is provided with an internal annular boss or bead 49 which concentrically surrounds the-center of the cover and is provided with internal screw threads which are threaded onto the screw threads 3l on the upper end of the housing I0. The boss 49 surrounds the periphery of the plate I1 and a filler 50 of suitable material, such as rubber, is disposed in the space between the plate I1 and the portion of the cover I6 within the boss 49.

-v-Eour vanes or baffles 5I, 52, 53 and 54 are disposed1'-within the'v coverI i6 at. angular `inter-vals offapproximately 90 1 degrees aroundl the f cover. Thesebales are disposed substantially inv planes which' include `4the common axisof the housing |','th`esleeve Il and the cover `G-and 'are joined at 'theirouterA edgesto the cover'portions A4`|i between adjacent openings 45.v The varies' or bafilcs extend. inwardly from theportionsld' substantially intoV contactl with@ the outer surfaceY of the portion ofthe housing .|'0 above the roof structure-,f'being notched to receive vthefrnounting flange I3 and the housing `islocatedl ink the cover so that the inneredgeof eachY ofv the vanes 5|, '52, 53fand 54`is-located between'two adjacent openings 23 infthe housing.

With4v the abovevdescribed construction and with lthe sleeve" |14 Apositionedl in the housing' l i0 toopentlieI-ventilator, afrelative wind blowing ononc side ofthe cover |6 will pass through the air passage openings 45 at that side lci the cover and ,will be guided by the adjacent vanes in the cover' and the-included portionf of the root'- into the corresponding `openings 23 inthe housing I0. The air will pass through# the -housingopenings 23 at'the Windward sideof the ventilatorvand downwardly through thespaces between the vanes of the I'vane' structure with which these lopenings communicate vand will 110W` from these spaces outwardly-through the communicating openings 26 inthe housing intothe space below the-roof structure. At the same time, the openings 45 fat the leeward" side of the cover- |6 Will be subjected to a; slight suction which. will draw air lfromA the `space below 'the'`- roof structure' through the corresponding openings 26 in the housingffandthrough the spaces between the vanes of lthe vane structure Yi5 With'whichthese last mentionedv housing openings communicate and Yfromv such spaces through the housing openings 23 rat the leeward side ofthe ventilator and from' thence through the leeward openings 45 in the cover' I6' passing between thecorresponding cover vanes. As the fresh air entering the space through the ventilator will be directed in one direction `away from the ventilator,r andas the air exhausted from the space .willi be drawninto the opposite side of the ventilator, thefresh-air will have to.. circulate entirely throughv the ventilatedxspace before being Withdrawn from the space by the ventilator.

The innercover 20 isfahollow-domeshaped or hemispherical body havingl an 'open` end surrounded by,v an outwardly projecting flange 55 which is apertured to receive'the bolts 48.. The two cover membersv at the opposite sides ofthe roof structure |2 arexclamped together'bymuts B threadedonto the boltsr below the. flange.

An annular bead or boss 5`|v is provided inthe lower cover` 20 substantially concentric with the center of the lowerrcover'and this Vboss: is provided withA 'internalf 'screw' threads which' receive the rexternal 'screwthreads 32' at. the lower'. end ofthe'fhousingft. The portion of the-*lower housing within thef'bossf'l is cut away andthis opening'is'closed'by the cover-'plate or plug 2| which is screw-threaded'i'ntofthe outer portion of 'the boss51f and lbears lagainst the lower end ofthe housing t0. Arib58 extends diametrically across 'the' outer side of the plate of the closure plug 2| and this rib isrprovided with an opening 59 so. that the rib'constitutes a convenient handle for threading `the closure plug into and out of the lower cover.. The closure plug 2| has to. be removed before ythe; sleevey Mean. be: adjusted in the housing Hi Ltia-regulate thequantity-` of air admittedby theV ventilator;

Fbur vanes 60, 6|', (i2y and ,ES-areprovidedin the lower cover 20 and' are disposed substantially in. planesfwhich include-the common.: axis of `the .housing I0, thesleeve H andrfthevtwoy covers.v These vanes 'are' joined at their. outer; edges-,to the inner" surface ofV the lower cover and` are positioned at. angular intervalsfof approximately degrees and thelower; cover is positioned rela;-v tive vto the housing so that each ofthe. vanes 60, Bt, ,B2i-ands63 'isy disposed. at itsinner edge betweentwo adjacent openings 26 in the housing.l

The lower. cover visy yprovided between eachV two adjacent vanes` with. av plurality of rectangular air. passage openings 64' throughwhichiair `leaves or enters J the lower. housing'. in. the `Ventilating operation of.' the device: These openings; are each materially smaller than the area of; the portion; of the-cover between two adjacent vanes and arestaggered relative to each otherto diffuse thexair currents.v passing through the.y lower .cover so. that .theventilator will' not creategnoticeable draf-ts. or -blastsiof air inthe ventilated space.

TheV vanes in thel lower cover-help; to direct the air leavingandentering the-ventilator: so that a completel circulation of the; Ventilating air through f the ventilated space is obtained;

The invention lmay be embodied. inotherspecinc forms withoutv departing fromthe spirit or essential" characteristics thereof.. The present embodiment is ,-therefore,.` to be consideredv inall respects,r asr illustrative and "not restrictive.; the scope.'A of. the invention. .being "indicatedjby the appended yclaims rather-thanifby'the foregoing descriptions-'and falll changesv which; comef'within the 5 meaning andy range of: equivalency-of .the claims are,V therefore, intended `to be `embraced therein.

Whatis claimed is z;

1..; A ventilator, assemblymountable onya dat roof.` 'area comprising an elongated hollow-housing disposable in a roof opening and havingroof engaging meanstintermediate the length thereof. saidhousing having two sets of angularlyspaced apart air'passage openings therein disposedjone seta-t each sidev of: saidfroof 'engaging means, internal screwthreads in said. hcusingextending substantially from. one `to thev other "end thereof, a screen coveringA .each air passage opening. `in said housing, an externallyscrew threaded sleeve threaded into said housing. and'having a set of angularly spaced apart' air passage... openings adjacent one .endthereo an. end Wall closing one end `of saidhousing,` an elongated vane structure disposed in saidsleeve and havinga plurality of: angularly spaced apart: vanes' extendingy longitudinall'y of'. said sleeve and disposed one 4between eachtwo adjacent air passage. openings in said housing; means securing said end `wallagainst one end. of said vane-structure to mountisaidvane structure in said. housing, aplate `covering. the other endfofsaid yane'structure, ahandlgfex.- tending; transversely gofsaid-sleeve at the endf of said sleeveremotesfrom said end .wall forv thread'- ing said sleeve' along said housingftofvariably restrict the airy passage openingsin said housing,v

a dome shaped cover mountable -on a roof. structure andattached tosaid housing at said one end .ofthe latter 'sothat said: cover. and .said housing are'substantially coaxial with each other,

said .cover having angular-ly spaced. apart' air passage openings therein; and vanos in saidfccver, `disposed substantially in planes rincludingsthe common axisof.- said .housing-and said cover-and 7?- each extending from a position yin said cover between two adjacent airpassage openings in the latter to a position on said housing between two adjacent air passage openings in the housing.

2. A ventilator assembly comprising dome shaped covers mountable on a roof structure one above and one below said structure and opposed to each other at their open ends, each of said covers having spaced apart air passage openings therein, air guiding means in said covers for directing air from openings in one side of one of said covers through openings in the corresponding side of the other of said covers and air from openings in the opposite side of said other cover to openings in the opposite side of said one cover, and manually movable adjusting means in said air guiding means for regulating the quantity of air flowing through the ventilator assembly. i v Y V3. A ventilator assembly comprising dome shaped covers mountable on a roof structure one above and one below said structure and opposed to'each other at their open ends, each of said covers having spaced apart air passage openings therein, air guiding means in said covers for directing air from openings in one side of one of said covers through openings in the corresponding side of the other of said covers and air from openings in the opposite side of said other cover to openings in the opposite side of said one cover, and manually movable adjusting means in said air guiding means for regulating the quantity of air flowing through the ventilator assembly, said air guiding means comprising an elongated housing secured at. its opposite ends to said covers and adapted to extend through a roof structure on which said covers are mounted, said housing having two sets of angularly spaced apart air passage openings therein so disposed that the openings of one set communicate with the interior of said one cover and the openings of the other set communicate with the interior of said other cover, a vane structure in said housing providing passages in said housing connecting each air passage opening in one set of such openings in the housing with a corresponding opening in the other set of such openings, and vanes in each cover providing air passages in the covers connecting the air passage openings in said covers with corresponding air passage openings in saidy housing.

4. A ventilator assembly comprising dome shaped covers mountable on a roof structure one above and one below said structure and opposed to each other at their open ends, each of said covers having air passage openings therein, air

-guiding means in said covers for directing air from openings in one side of one of said covers through openings in lthe corresponding side of the other of said covers and air from openings in the opposite side of said other cover to openings in the opposite side of said one cover, and manually movable adjusting means in said air guiding means for regulating the quantity of air iiowingthrough vthe ventilator assembly, said air guiding means comprising an elongated housing secured at its opposite ends to said covers and adapted to extend through a roof structure on which said covers are mounted, said housing having two sets of angularly spaced apart air passage openings in the side wall thereof, said sets of openings being spaced apart longitudinally of said housing so that the openings of one set communicate with the interior of said one cover and theopenings of the other set communicate with the interior of said other cover, a vane structure in said housing providing passages in said housing connecting each air passage opening in one set of such openings in the housing with a corresponding opening in the other set of such openings, vanes in each cover providing air passages in the covers connecting lthe air passage openings in said covers with corresponding air passage openings in said housing, and means closing each end of said housing.

5. A ventilator assembly comprising dome shaped covers mountable on a roof structure one above and one below sai-d structure and opposed to each other at their open ends, each of said covers having air passage openings therein, air guiding means in said covers for directing air from openings in one side of `one of saidcovers through openings in the corresponding side of the other of said covers and air from openings in the opposite side of said other cover to openings in the opposite side of said one cover, and manually movable adjusting means in sai-d air guiding means for 4regulating the quantity of air flowing through the Ventilator assembly, said air guiding means comprising an elongated housing secured at its opposite ends to said covers and adapted to extend through a roof structure on which said covers are mounted, said housing having two sets of angularly spaced apart air passage openings in the side wall thereof, said vsets of openings being spacedI apart; longitudinally.v of said -housing so that the openings of. one set communicate with the interior of said one cover and the openings of the other set communicate with the interior of .said other cover, a.- vane structure in said housing providing passages in said housing connecting each air passage openings in one set vof Such openings in the housing with a corresponding opening in the other set of such openings, and vanes inV each cover providing air passages in the covers connecting the air passage openings in said covers with corresponding air passage openings in said housing and said adjusting means comprising a sleeve disposed within said housing and manually movable longitudinally of the latter to variably restrict at least one set of air passage openings in said housing.

6. A ventilator assembly mountable on a fiat support for directing air from one side to the other side of the support at one side of the assembly and from said other to said one side of the support at the other side of the assembly comprising a dome shaped cover having an open end and angularly spaced apart air passage openings therein adjacent said open end,-an elongated housing securedv at one endl to s'ai'd cover and projecting beyond the open end of the latter for reception in an opening in the support on which said cover is mounted, a ange on said -housing for attaching-the latter to the support, said housing having therein two sets of angularly spaced apart air passage openings disposed `one set at one side and the other at the other side of said flange, vanes in said cover providing in association with the support air passages connecting the openings in said cover with corresponding openings of one set of openings in said housing, a vane structure in said housing extending past both sets of openings therein and providing air passages connecting each opening of one set with a corresponding opening of the other set of openings in said housing, means closing said housing at the opposite ends of said vane structure, a sleeve in said housing surrounding said vane structure and adjustably movable longitudinally of said housing to variably restrict at least one set of air passage openings in said housing, a second dome shaped cover secured to the other end of said housing and having an open end and air passage openings therein, means on said second cover at the open end thereof for attaching said second cover to the support at the side of the latter opposite the rst mentioned cover, and vanes in said second cover providing in association with the support air passages connecting the air passage openings in said second cover with the corresponding air passage openings of the other set of such openings in said housing.

'7. A ventilator assembly mountable on a flat support for directing air from one side to the other side of the support at one side of the assembly and from said other to said one side of the support at the other side of the assembly comprising a dome shaped cover having an open end and angularly spaced apart air passage openings therein adjacent said open end, an elongated housing secured at one end to said cover and projecting beyond the open end of the latter for reception in an opening in the support on which said cover is mounted, a flange on said housing for attaching the latter to the support, said housing having therein two sets of angularly spaced apart air passage openings disposed one set at one side and the other at the other side of said ange, vanes in said cover providing in association with the support air passages connecting the openings in said cover with corresponding openings of one set of openings in said housing, a -vane structure in said housing extending past both sets of openings therein and providing air passages connecting each opening of one set with a corresponding opening of the other set of openings in said housing, means closing said housing at the opposite ends of said vane structure, a sleeve inf'said housing surrounding said vane structure and adjustably movable longitudinally of said housing to variably restrict at least one set of air passage openings in said housing, a second dome shaped cover secured to the other end of said housing and having an open end and air passage openings therein, means on said second cover at the open end thereof for attaching said second cover to the support at the side of the latter opposite the rst mentioned cover, and vanes in said second cover providing in association with the support air passages connecting the air passage openings in said second cover with the corresponding air passage openings of the other set of such openings in said housing, the vair passage openings in said second cover being smaller in size and greater in number than the air passage openings in said first mentioned cover.

FRED A. DAHLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 45,814 Burnett Jan. 10, 1865 1,245,851 Wright Nov. 6, 1917 1,289,821 Laakso Dec. 31, 1918 1,836,438 Bombard et al. Dec. 15, 1931 2,489,011 Dahlin Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 610,763 France June 19, 1926 

